This article describes how to qualify for the canoeing competitions at the 2020 Summer Olympics . This should take place from August 21, 2019 to May 25, 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic , some competitions have been canceled, changing the qualification period. There are 82 quota places for the canoe slalom competitions (41 per gender). 140 quota places (70 per gender) are available in canoe racing. The qualification takes place in both disciplines via the respective world championships, as well as via continental qualification competitions.
The quota places are not awarded to athletes, but to the nation of the athlete who fought for the starting place. A maximum of one athlete per nation is allowed to compete per competition. The quota places are allocated as follows:
World Championships 2019 : The best placed athletes secure a starting place for their nation (maximum one starting place per nation). There are 18 quota places available in the K-1 competitions and 11 in the C-1 competitions.
Continental Qualifying Competitions: A starting place is available in every continental competition. The nation that has not yet been able to fight for a starting place at the World Championships and whose athlete does best receives one of the quota places.
Host: Japan receives a quota place as host in all four competitions.
The quota places are not awarded to athletes, but to the nation of the athlete who fought for the starting place. A maximum of one athlete per nation may compete in each competition. The quota places are allocated as follows:
World Championships : The best placed boats (maximum one boat per nation) qualify for the games. In the K-1 competitions, 5 qualification places are available, whereby an additional place is reserved for the host country on the 1000 m and 500 m courses for men and women, 6 quota places in the K-2 competitions, 10 in the K-4 competitions and 6 in the C-1 competitions (one of which over 1000 m event is reserved for the host country) and 8 in the C-2 competition.
World Cup 2: The best placed boat (maximum one boat per nation) in each individual fights for a starting place for his nation.
Continental qualification: For the K-1 and C-1 competitions there is a quota place available for each continent (with the exception of Europe, there are 2). For the K-2 competitions, Europe was also guaranteed two quota places, but only 6 places are available for the remaining 4 continents. These are assigned to the continents on the basis of the World Cup results: The best-placed and non-qualified nations from the four different continents at the World Cups receive a place for their continent.
Host country: In addition, Japan as the host country receives a starting place in certain competitions.